The prophet Elijah had quite a role to fill. We remember that Elijah did not die but was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire. The Jewish people believed that he would come in the final days to prepare the hearts and minds of people for the coming of the Lord. Sometimes people need those reminders and 'wake-up calls' to remember who they are and how they should live. People can sometimes be that messenger, but often it is an experience that fills that role. All experiences have something to teach us.

As Jesus and his disciples came down from the mountain, they discussed rising from the dead and what the final days would be like. When they asked about Elijah coming first, Jesus told them that Elijah had already come - and they realized he was talking about John the Baptist. Elijah came and went without people recognizing him. God is always at work, and God's messengers are always in the world. We need to be sensitive and attentive to the signs of God's quiet presence - we would not want to miss God's visit.